I'd Have You Stay
by GoodForBad
Summary: When people showed up at your house in the middle of the night, it was rarely to share good news. Especially if it was Cindy. JC.
1. Chapter 1

***taps on microphone* Is this thing on?**

 **Hello again, wonderful JN fandom! Anybody remember me? My love for this fandom has just recently been rekindled, and not only that – I've got a cute little story for you. Long ago, back in 2013, I wrote/started a CRAP ton of Jimmy Neutron fics that I never got around to publishing.**

 **And this...isn't...one of them.**

 **Completely random inspiration hit me just last night, so I sat down and wrote this. HOWEVER, there will be the previously-unpublished-turned-published one-shots in the very near future and if we're lucky - another full-length story! *knocks on wood***

 **I'd also like to dedicate this story to jcforever19, who got me back into this fandom by asking if I'd read her story "Times Infinity" (which is flipping AWESOME by the way, go check it out!) a few months ago. Thanks, you lovely person you. I'd nearly forgotten how incredible this fandom is.**

 **Cindy and Jimmy are around 17 here, just as a sidenote.**

 **Without further ado. Enjoy.**

* * *

It was Goddard who got his attention.

It was late, but how late exactly, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was in the midst of furiously penning possible solutions to Goldbach's Conjecture in the dim light of his bedroom and the house was eerily quiet. Somewhere along the line he had fallen into a half-aware daze – not quite sleeping, but not fully awake – when his mechanical canine nudged him on the hand, whimpering softly. Jimmy inhaled sharply, shaking his head, and blinked rapidly as he stared down at the sea of paper surrounding him. "Time for bed boy?" he said, stretching. Goddard nudged him again, more forcefully, and Jimmy frowned. "What's the matter? Do you need to go out?" His dog barked softly and turned in a circle, then seemed to head nod towards his window.

It was then he noticed it was open.

With a soft hum of acknowledgement, he stood and walked towards it, shivering slightly. He had never outgrown the comfort of sleeping in only his boxers, and he _had_ been all ready for bed when inspiration for the Conjecture had struck. He should really get to bed.

It was only when he went to close it that the sight of a familiar blonde down in his yard kick-started a burst of adrenaline. "Cindy?" he said, rather loudly, then clamped his mouth shut when she looked up at him from down below.

"Hi," was all she said and he frowned.

"What are you doing here? It's like…" He glanced quickly at his watch. "One A.M. Are you okay?" He could barely see her – she was outside the beam of illumination from the streetlight – but could make out her movements. She shifted from foot to foot, arms crossed over her chest.

"I need help Jimmy," she said softly. "I…" His heart stopped, then picked up double time with alarm.

"Hang on," said he. "I'm coming down." He crossed his room quickly, grabbing a pair of checkered pajama bottoms from the floor and put them on quickly. His tiredness had disappeared entirely and questions were pounding in his brain. When people showed up at your house in the middle of the night, it was rarely to share good news. What had happened? Why did she come to him? Why did –

He yanked a sweatshirt off the back of his desk chair and ran on his toes down the stairs. His parents were fairly deep sleepers, but he couldn't help going overboard with precaution. He opened the door slowly, despite the apprehension tingling in his nerves, and stepped outside. "Cindy?" he whispered. She appeared from the left, but stopped right outside the path to the house. He quickly took in her appearance – pajama shorts, flip flops, disheveled hair, sleeveless top, arms still crossed firmly over her chest – and frowned. It couldn't be more than forty degrees out here…she must be freezing. A quick glance across the street and he noted several lights were on in the Vortex household.

Odd.

"I just…I needed to…um…" Her voice was barely audible. He squinted in the darkness. Was she…shaking?

"Hey, do you want to come inside?" He motioned behind him, watching curiously as she stole a glance at her house. She then locked eyes with him and he froze for a second at how _green_ they were in this strange lighting.

"Jimmy I'm sorry," she whispered. "I really am. I just need to lay low, I –"

"It's no problem. Come inside." She was exhibiting an uncharacteristic level of agitation, possibly fear, and it was unnerving him a little. When she breezed past him and entered the house, it caught him by surprise. He took a moment to cast another quick glance around the neighborhood, then walked back into the house, shutting the door softly behind him.

He entered just as he spotted Cindy cresting the top of the stairs, entering his bedroom. He smirked a little, then caught himself, and followed her there. He was just about to enter his room when he heard her whisper, "Don't move." He froze, instantly noting two things.

1\. She had turned his light off and

2\. She was down on her knees by his window, looking out at her house.

He didn't move from his doorway, cold anxiety creeping up his spine at the sheer panic he had heard in her voice. Something was wrong. No, something was _very_ wrong if Cindy Vortex was seeking him out at this time of night. She was the most fearless person he knew, and if something was scaring her, it was worth at least a smidgen of alarm.

He stood there for several minutes in total silence, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. When Cindy finally exhaled and moved a little, he thought it might be safe to speak, but she beat him to the punch.

"Sorry," she whispered. If the house had not been dead silent, he might not have heard her, her voice was so low. "My…my mom was out in the yard. I had to make sure she didn't see anything." Jimmy blinked, then walked over to her.

"Cindy," he said quietly, crouching down beside her. "What is going on?" She slumped back onto her bottom, staring glumly at the wall, then turned towards him.

"My parents had a really big fight," she whispered, her eyes shining with tears. "That in itself is a pretty common occurrence, but this was a bad one, Jimmy. This time I was involved." He studied her intensely, noticed her still shaking, and swallowed. "It started hours ago and I…I didn't want to deal with it so I just went to bed." She gestured at herself, as if to explain why she was in pajamas. "But it got loud. Really loud. Screaming, crying, things were getting broken. I didn't know…I didn't know if he was going to hit her again." Jimmy took note of the word "again," but stayed silent. "So I went down there. I had hoped…I had hoped maybe I could talk them down or something. When I got down there it was…oh God, it was chaos Jimmy. The coffee table was in pieces, the TV was smashed, it –" She cut herself off and wiped her eyes. "I didn't know they'd been drinking. There were…there were several empty bottles of wine, I didn't bother to count. I was furious. I demanded that they stop or I was going to call the police and –" She suddenly sobbed and Jimmy felt his heart break. "They…they turned on _me,_ I don't –"

"Oh Cindy," he whispered. He reached out to touch her and she flinched. His fingers froze in movement, just above her shoulder.

"He pushed me, Jimmy." She locked eyes with him then, tears now streaming silently down her face. "Into the coffee table. It was glass. Already broken. And I…" She unfolded her arms from around her chest and he froze at the sight of her bloodied fingers.

"Cindy, oh my God, you're –" He motioned Goddard over and muttered a quick, "Light, light," and the glow showed a nasty gash across her upper arm and shoulder. "You're _bleeding,_ " he said with horror, but Cindy only nodded.

"I'm really sorry," she whimpered. "I just panicked and ran and Libby's was too far away. I don't have my phone or anything or I wouldn't have bothered you and you were right there across the street. I…I hid in your bushes for like ten minutes just in case they saw and Goddard heard me throwing rocks at your window and –"

"Okay. Cindy, we have to get this cleaned. Come on." Urgency overcame him in dizzying waves and all he knew was _fix this fix this I have to fix this._ He grabbed her hand without thinking and led her to his bathroom. "There's no window in here so they won't see the light," was all he said, flicking the switch. The sudden brightness rendered him blind for a moment and he blinked, irritated.

Her father had hit her. Her father had _hit_ her –

When his eyes finally adjusted, he finally got his first real look at her for the night. Blood, both fresh and drying, stained the milky white of her right arm and she seemed to be absentmindedly clutching it with her left hand. Her face was red and wet and her eyes were –

"Did he hit your face?" he whispered hoarsely. Her gaze rose from the floor and stared at him, sadly. A bruise was forming at her left temple, the skin ugly and irritated, and the scene played out in his imagination rather disturbingly. _Fist to the left temple, she goes flying and lands on her right arm, skin gets lacerated from broken glass and –_

"Sit on the counter," he said. She complied and he had to force himself to quell the utter _fury_ currently flowing through him. His fingers worked quickly, grabbing cleaning supplies and towels in an attempt to calm himself down.

He worked in silence, cleaning the blood from her skin with a warm, wet towel. He disinfected the wound with soap and water, whispering an apology when she hissed with pain. His brain was in full-on fix it mode, and he soon had her bandaged up with expert efficiency.

"Goddard," he whispered as he studied her face. "Get me some ice, please." The dog exited the bathroom silently and it was at that moment she spoke again.

"Jimmy." Her gaze met his and he felt another part of his heart shatter. "I swear to you, this…this was an accident. My father has never hit me before and he was drunk and –"

"He _hit_ you," he snapped. The fear in her eyes was absolutely unnerving him because _this wasn't Cindy._ Cindy was strong, Cindy was fearless, no one should have the power to _terrify_ her like this.

"It was an accident," she said again. He reached out slowly and tucked a few pieces of hair behind her ear, watching as her eyes filled once more.

"Cindy." He grabbed onto her shoulders, gently. "Are you sure this has never happened before?" Her eyes closed and her head dropped.

"Please don't do this, Jimmy," she whispered. He wanted to scream and break the mirror. No. He wanted to go bash her father's face in. He couldn't believe that any man was capable of hitting a woman, much less his own daughter, and the weighty injustice of it felt like someone had stabbed him in the lungs. God, it was just so…so heartbreaking.

At that moment, Goddard returned with the ice and he took it from him without another word. He pressed it gently against the side of her face and the two relapsed into silence once more. His anger, though still present, was beginning to fade as he realized that that wasn't what she needed right now. They could deal with those emotions later, but what she needed was a gentle hand, a comforting presence.

She needed support, and he was more than willing to give it.

After a certain point, she suddenly shifted, grabbing ahold of his wrist and pulling it away from her face. "I'm okay," she said quietly, still not looking at him. She got down from the counter slowly, swallowing hard. "Could I…could I use your phone? Libby never turns her phone off and she'll let me spend the night. I'm really sorry, it's the last favor I'll ask of you tonight."

"No." She jumped and looked at him, startled. He shook his head to emphasize the point, suddenly feeling like a huge jerk. "Listen, Cindy. You're not…you're not bothering me. At all. I'm glad you came to me." Suddenly feeling bold, he grabbed a hold of her hands. "Please stay here tonight. I can get you anything you need." She didn't react and it was then he realized what an idiot he was being. She _wanted_ to be with Libby, who the hell was he to make the choice for her?

"Oh Jimmy," she whispered. "You really mean that, don't you?" He gave her a sad smile and nodded, squeezing her hands in his. She let out a small laugh, letting go of his hands, then stepped forward and wrapped him in a huge hug. He held her close, inhaling the scent of vanilla and strawberries, and forgot for a moment that anyone else existed except for her.

"So it's settled, then," he murmured into her ear. She nodded, pulling back, and he took ahold of her hand and led her back to his room. "You can sleep in my bed," he whispered, "and we'll figure all this out in the morning, okay?" She nodded and he smiled. He hastily grabbed up all of his calculations and placed them on his desk, motioning towards the bed. She laid down quietly and he tucked her in, marveling at how small she looked. "It's going to be okay, Cindy." He stared down at her, suddenly feeling weak. "I promise."

"I know," she whispered. He smiled again, brushing those stubborn strands of hair away from her face again.

"Goodnight." He stood and turned, running a hand through his hair. There were extra blankets in the hall closet, so he would be fine. He just hoped he was up before his parents. "Come on, Goddard." His dog had followed him silently all night, and he would have to remember to give him extra treats for getting his attention tonight.

He was just about to exit when her voice cut through the silence once more. "Jimmy?" He turned and she was sitting up, clutching the blankets to her chest.

"Yeah?" She paused a moment, almost seeming hesitant.

"I…" She picked at the sheets, then sighed. "I don't want to be alone tonight." She sounded so broken, so utterly _nervous,_ that he shut the door behind him without thinking and made his way over. She instantly slid to the other side of the bed and he got in with her, feeling slightly giddy before he forced it down.

It was _so_ not the time for that.

The two laid facing each other, studying the other, until Goddard shut the lights out. Even then he could still make out her form in the dark, those green eyes penetrating the darkness.

"Jimmy," she whispered. She sighed softly. "Thank you."

"Of course, Cindy." He jumped, slightly, when she reached out and touched his face, running her fingers over his jaw line. He shivered.

"I take back every nasty thing I ever said to you," she said, then slid closer, resting her head against his chest. "Goodnight, Jimmy."

"Goodnight," he murmured, cradling her against his body. There were still a lot of things, a lot of challenges the two would face once the sun rose. Yet despite it all, he knew that tonight was a shift, a transition of sorts into something entirely new. Nothing would be the same between them. And he was okay with that.

In hardly any time at all, her breaths rose and fell in a steady pattern and she fully relaxed in his arms. The sound of her breathing slowly lulled him to sleep and before he succumbed entirely, he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. In the morning he would fix everything for her.

But right now, he would simply hold her.

* * *

 **I'd like to take a moment to quickly detail how I think Cindy and Jimmy's relationship went as they got older: the two stopped fighting as much, but maintained their competition with each other. And of course, mild to outright flirtation is a fairly common occurrence between them, but they need a push to actually "become" a couple. Viola.**

 **Did you know that the idea for this story came about because I had a vision of the two of them in bed just playing and cuddling with each other? Leave it up to my warped mind to turn it into something dark and depressing.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review for this rusty old author. I do apologize if they were OOC, but it makes sense to me in the context I provided above. A part of me is kind of tempted to write a follow-up too; the next morning drama and all that. Let me know if it's worth it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my God, you guys are all amazing. Seriously. Thank you so much to everyone who favorite/followed/reviewed. You people make me smile. And it is for that reason that ya'll deserve another chapter. So here we go.**

 **Just as a warning – the tone of this chapter is** ** _very_** **different from the last one. I'm not even really sure I like it.**

 **(And look at this, no long-winded rant this time! It makes me so – okay, okay, shutting up)**

* * *

Jimmy slowly peeled his eyes open, the sleep-induced disorientated state rendering his memory temporarily blank. He felt warm – _very_ warm – and inexplicably cozy. He had always been a fairly early riser, and the slowly-growing light of his bedroom indicated it was already well past dawn. He yawned, blinking, and something suddenly nestled into his shoulder while a very feminine sigh reached his ears.

And in that moment, the events of last night came rushing back in stunning clarity.

It took a moment to process that Cindy was still snuggled against his body, one arm draped loosely around his waist, her head pressed against his chest. His own arm was wrapped securely around her waist and he closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her hair once more.

Oh God. Cindy. He lifted his hand slowly from her body and pulled back – carefully. She shifted beside him, onto her shoulder, and he was better able to get a good look at her face. He took in her appearance with a sinking heart, staring at the nasty bruise around her eye that had now formed into an angry welt.

 _Not fair,_ his mind decided. _Not good, not right, not…_

He didn't realize he was caressing her face until she sighed beneath him once more and he froze. His mind kicked into hyper-mode and he reluctantly pulled his hand away. What now? A quick glance at his watch told him it was nearing 7:00, and though it was a Saturday, his parents could be up at any time. _Oh hey mom, dad, pay no attention to the teenage girl coming downstairs with me. Nothing weird happened, I promise._

Was he just supposed to send her back to her house like nothing had happened? Wake her?

That question was answered when she moved again beside him, stretching, and when her eyes opened his heart lurched with something he couldn't quite explain. He smiled at her and her eyes closed again, her hand coming up quickly to rub the sleep from them. "Whuh…" she mumbled. "What time is it?" Her voice was deep and throaty and he found it inexplicably appealing.

"About seven," he whispered. Cindy's eyes opened once more and he actually saw the moment when realization dawned in her eyes that she was cuddled into his body. With a sharp intake of breath she rolled away from him, yet did it slowly enough for it to appear that she was simply shifting into another position. His heart fell, but he forced the self-centered notion from his mind.

He watched her backside as she sat up on the other side of the bed, feet dangling off, her hair barely holding its ponytail style. Jimmy gave her one last glance, then got out of bed himself. He padded slowly over to Goddard and petting him gently on the head he whispered, "Hey buddy. Wake up." Said dog complied, stretching as he came out of hibernation mode. "Can you tell me if anyone's up, boy?" Goddard almost seemed to nod, and he walked with his creator to the door. Jimmy opened it a crack and Goddard poked his head out, sniffing the air. He then looked at the boy genius and shook his head.

"No one's up yet. That's good." He shut the door. "But just to be on the safe side – activate silent screen, level 4." Goddard emitted a silent hum and a laser-like stream scanned the walls. Satisfied, Jimmy looked back at Cindy, who had been watching the whole thing quietly. "Goddard just soundproofed the walls. We could scream at the top of our lungs if we wanted and no one would hear us."

"Just what exactly do you think we're going to be doing in here?" Cindy said quietly with the hint of a smirk and he balked.

"I…wait, no, no no no, that's not what I –"

"Sorry," she said with a shrug. "I couldn't resist." Her arms were crossed over her chest again and he instantly noted her shivering again. _Idiot!_

"No, uh, that's fine. Uh…" He padded quickly across his room and opened up the drawer to his nightstand. "Here, are you…are you cold?" He held out one of his red sweatshirts to her and she turned around, facing him. "It's kind of chilly, I don't know. If you want." She smirked again, and a swell of hope rose within him. She was much closer to acting like her regular self than she had been last night.

"Yeah…thank you Jimmy." He handed it to her silently and she slipped it on easily. He had never outgrown his fondness for the color red and when she spotted the atomic symbol on the front of it, she let out a quiet laugh. "Figures," she muttered. Their eyes met and her expression seemed to darken. "Listen. Um." She fiddled with the too-long sleeves. "I need to get back. I don't want your parents to…to see this," she gestured at herself, "and assume the worst."

"But they wouldn't," he blurted out. "If we explained what happened, then –"

" _No._ " The urgency in her voice shut him up quickly and he recoiled at the fire in her gaze. "No one can know about this, Jimmy. No one."

"But…but Cindy." The hard lines of her features remained intact. _That_ was definitely the Cindy he knew, but this wasn't right. "You can't just act like this didn't happen. He…he needs to be arrested for what he did, or –"

"Jimmy." She walked right up to him, staring him in the eyes. "I want you to know that I deeply appreciate everything you've done for me. I can't…" she faltered, closed her eyes, rubbed her face with her hands. "I can't express my gratitude. I don't know how to thank you enough." She looked at him again. "But I need you to…to let me deal with this. You don't need to be dragged into my family drama, and honestly, it's something I know how to deal with. So just…" She waved her hands around. "Just forget this happened. Please."

"How can you say that?" Dread was rising in nauseating waves but he refused to acknowledge what she was really asking. "Do you see what he did to you? You…" He gestured wildly at her bandaged arm. "Cindy, I don't –"

"It was an accident," she said, curtly. Another part of his heart smarted in shock and he wondered, vaguely, if he'd been wrong about the seeming transition between them he'd felt last night. In the next breath, however, her gaze softened and she reached out, grasping his hand in hers. "Sorry. I'm just…" She huffed out a sigh. "I've got to go, Jimmy. Goodbye. And thank you." She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then without another word, she turned and walked away, slipping through his door quietly.

It took a moment for his frenzied thoughts to form a cohesive decision, but once they did, he barely thought about it before following her. "Cindy," he whispered, at the top of the stairs. She was already halfway down and she turned to look at him, frowning. He padded down softly and grabbed her hand, leading her the rest of the way. "I'm coming with you."

"Jimmy, no," she hissed, tugging uselessly at his arm. They paused at the bottom and he fixed her with a steely gaze.

"I'm not letting you go over there alone," he shot back, still managing to keep his voice relatively quiet. Her eyes were frantically searching his face, and he found, with some level of discomfort, that the fear was creeping back into her features.

"You _can't,_ " she said. "You don't understand what you're doing. If my parents see you coming over there with me, they'll –" She was cut off, abruptly, when the sound of a door closing behind them cut through the quiet. Her eyes bulged and he stiffened.

"My mom's probably up," he whispered. "So either my parents see you here with me, or yours. Your choice." A part of him acknowledged how blatantly unfair that choice was, but…

He couldn't let her face this alone.

Angrily, she yanked her hand from his and opened the front door, silently. He followed her out and shut it gently closed, and took a moment to frown at her departing back. It made sense that she was angry, and he wouldn't hold it against her, but there was a part of him that was…hurt, by this reaction. Shaking his head, he caught up to her quickly and as they hit the sidewalk on the other side of the street, she began shaking her head irately.

"There's only one thing I want you to know." She stopped and he copied her. Her gaze burned into his face, but he refused to break eye contact. "Whatever happens, just remember I tried to stop you." And with that, she turned and walked up the stairs to her front door.

It was only a momentary thought, but he half-wondered if her desire to keep him away had more to do with the fact that it was _him_ specifically _,_ and less that he-was-a-boy-and-she-was-a-girl dynamic.

He pointedly pushed the thought aside and entered the home with her.

At first glance, everything seemed normal. The entrance was clean, and there were a few pairs of shoes lined up neatly beside the door. Only a few steps in, however, and that seeming picturesque image rapidly spiraled into a disaster area.

The living room was in ruin. The infamous coffee table was, in fact, in various glass pieces all over the floor and the sunlight glittered off the broken glass in misplaced beauty. One of the couches was lying on its back, as if someone had shoved it over violently. Photographs that had lined the walls were on the floor, some of the frames broken or smashed to smithereens. He noted with a rising level of concern that the television was lying on the floor with a gigantic hole in the screen, and various books were strewn about across the room surrounding a knocked-over bookcase.

"Cindy," he said quietly. He somehow hadn't expected this level of destruction, and he couldn't form words to articulate his horror. She stood just a few feet in front of him, staring blankly at the room.

"Yeah," was all she said. The house was deadly quiet, and Jimmy felt like his footsteps sounded violent against the floorboards.

He was just about to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder when she suddenly turned and walked up the stairs. He had the distinct feeling he wasn't supposed to follow her, so he simply stood there, staring at the mess. He could call Goddard over here with his watch and have this cleaned up in no time, but he should probably ask her first. Or something. God, this was really messed up. It was rare that Jimmy Neutron ever felt truly helpless, but this situation was steadily becoming worse. He took a few tentative steps into the kitchen and flinched when he spotted broken wine glasses littering the floor and…was that a broken cabinet door? What the hell had _happened_ here last night?

"They're not here," her voice cut into his musings and he jumped. He turned to find her standing at the entrance to the kitchen, staring vacantly at him. He waited for a moment, thinking she was going to continue, but her gaze shifted to the window behind him and she stayed quiet. He swallowed.

"Okay then. Um…I can get Goddard over here and we can clean this up. It won't take much –"

"No." She spoke softly, almost sad. "When they come back I want them to see what they did. Expose their sins to the light of day, when they're not drunk or blind with anger. I'm not going to let them waltz back in and have everything all tidy for them, like it never even happened."

"Okay," he nodded. She slumped against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Cindy, can I…can I ask you a question?"

"Might as well," she whispered. She still wouldn't look at him so he walked over to her.

"I need…uh..." _God, how to put this?_ "How often does this happen?" Her gaze rose from the floor to meet his, but her expression still told him nothing.

"What do you mean? The fighting or the hitting?"

"Both." They stared each other down and he could tell she was battling with herself over how much she should tell him.

"This happens a lot," she said unhelpfully with a shrug. "They fight pretty constantly. It doesn't usually get this violent, though. Just a lot of angry words, and pretty hurtful insults."

"To each other?" he pressed. "Or to you?" Maybe this wasn't his business. Maybe it wasn't his right to know, but Cindy had chosen him to help her.

And he couldn't fully help if he didn't have the facts.

"Mostly to each other," she murmured. "I stay out of it the best I can."

"That doesn't really answer my question," he said, gently. She blinked.

"Then perhaps I can answer that for you." Cindy jumped, badly, and he whirled around instinctively at the sound of her mother's voice. Sasha Vortex stood at the kitchen's other entrance, leveling him with an icy stare. She looked positively worn out – crumpled clothing, puffy face, hair knotted and sloppy. But her eyes, that same piercing green color, were still as borderline livid as ever and he found himself backing up a step. "This is none of your concern, James. I suggest you leave now and let me deal with my daughter."

"I don't think I can do that," he stated. Granted, Sasha wasn't the problem currently, but he doubted she would be of much help to Cindy right now. There was something dangerous in her gaze, but it didn't pass his notice that it was directed at him.

"I think you can." She took a step into the kitchen and her eyes shifted to Cindy. "So this is who you ran off to? I've been looking for you for hours and Libby is frantic with worry. Why in the hell would you go to _him?"_ She spat the last part out as if the mere thought of him disgusted her.

It probably did.

"I think the real question here," he said before Cindy could respond, "is why did she _have_ to?" Sasha looked at him for a moment before bursting into ugly, cynical laughter.

"Oh yes," she smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "I nearly forgot. Mr. Neutron, the intuitive genius, always so _sharp_ and _cutting_. I think it's safe to assume she told you all of our dark family secrets, hm?" He watched with rising irritation as she pulled a cigarette from a pack on the counter and lit it, taking a long and desperate drag.

"Not all, I'm sure." He could sense Cindy move beside him but he didn't turn to look. "But I know enough. Enough to get authorities involved, at the very least." To his surprise, Sasha smiled at him, smoke curling around her head in wispy clouds.

"My, my. How very chivalrous of you, James. The knight in shining armor, come to save the damsel in distress. Or perhaps, that's the version she would tell you." She took another drag, staring at him intently. "She certainly has you fooled, doesn't she?"

"Mom," Cindy suddenly pleaded behind him, but he held up a hand.

"No, she doesn't. The state of this house is proof enough. Don't try to pull that manipulative shit with me, it doesn't work."

"Mouthy, are we?" Her smile grew and something shifted uncomfortably in his stomach. "Watch where you tread, little boy. I know more about her than you could ever hope to."

"That's hardly the point." He fixed her with his own deadly stare but she only chuckled, shaking her head. "Look at your daughter." He stepped to the side and gestured at her. "Look at what you've allowed to happen."

"Jimmy," Cindy whispered in horror. He ignored her, watching with smug satisfaction as Sasha's smile fell.

"Genius or not," he spat out, "at least I can acknowledge when there's a problem."

"Indeed there is." Sasha's face curled into a sneer. "And it's you being here." Her gaze suddenly shifted back to Cindy. "Isn't that right, Cynthia?" The silence that followed was overwhelming and he finally turned back to her. She was deadly white, eyes still blown huge and frantic. She looked…panicked.

"I think you should go," she whispered. Her eyes pleaded with him, silently begging him as if she were in agony. He could feel his resolve wavering just a bit.

"Oh yes," Sasha said behind him. "We can't have you involved, you see. Not when Cynthia can barely stand the sight of you." He turned back, slowly.

"What?" he asked at the same time Cindy said,

"Mom, _don't._ "

"What?" Sasha said with a shrug. "Since we're being honest with the boy, we might as well _bear all,_ don't you think?" She looked pointedly at Jimmy. "Seeing as how she once said you were a little boy, making play he was a _real_ scientist."

"We've said lots of things," he snapped. "That doesn't –"

"Or the time she said you were, and I quote, "so fucked up in the head, that the only reason your friends stick around is out of pity."

"That's not –"

"I do remember a time she said she hoped you would eventually mix something wrong in your lab and 'blow his own damn head up.' "

"Mom, for the love of God –"

"But then there's my personal favorite." Jimmy was suddenly at a loss for words and could only watch her mouth curve into a cocky smile. " 'Jimmy's feigned kindness is nothing short of disgusting. I wish he would stop pretending and let the world know what a dickhead he really is.' "

"You're not…" The planned response faltered and died on his tongue.

He knew exactly what she was trying to do here. Throw some insults in his face, get him flustered, make him angry and say something he shouldn't. Yet despite having a full knowledge of her intentions, he couldn't seem to help his rising confusion and anger. Why would…why would Cindy say those things, ever? Even at his angriest, he had _never_ said anything like that about _her._ They had to be an exaggeration…

Right?

"I know what you're trying to do," he finally settled for and he turned once more to Cindy. He was surprised to find her standing there, head bowed, sobbing quietly. "Cindy?" he said quietly. She shook her head, violently, and stepped away from his touch. His heart tore and a lump appeared in his throat. "Did you…did you say those things? I don't care, if you did. I don't."

"Jimmy, I'm…I'm sorry. So sorry." She finally looked up at him, her face wet with tears.

"She can't stand you, boy." That wicked voice cut between them once more, but he refused to look away from her. "Don't waste your time here. Her need for you is a front, a farce. Funny you didn't see that." He barely heard her. All he knew in that moment was Cindy, watching him, her face heavy with grief.

"Cindy," he said again. It wasn't the words. It wasn't the insults. No, the pain currently worming its way into his heart was born directly from her _silence._

"You should go, Neutron." The usage of his last name sent the final spike through his chest and he inhaled sharply, stiffening. An angry flush worked its way up his neck and into his face and he backed away from her, unable to understand, unable to _process what was happening._

This was what she truly felt? But why would she...why would she come to _him..._ why...?

" _Go,"_ she suddenly hissed. He flinched at her violent tone and cast her one last look of detached pain before he shoved past her and exited the kitchen.

"Be gone, then," he heard Sasha say to his back. "I tried to warn you."

Jimmy Neutron uttered not a word as he made his way through the living room and out the door, fighting the rising swell of confused pain in his chest.

* * *

 **I know, I know, the age-old "Sasha Vortex is evil and hates Jimmy" thing. But considering the tone of this story, I just couldn't resist.**

 **There will be another chapter to this, and I promise there will be more JC stuff in it. Bear with me. Apologies for how long this took to get up!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy MOTHER.**

 **This was NOT supposed to take this long to update/finish. My sincere apologies to those I've kept waiting - work got crazy because people are quitting and all that jazz. I'm so sorry. So here's a big fat chapter for you. Thank you all for your eternal patience. **

* * *

She hadn't spoken to him in days, and he allowed it.

After leaving her house in the early morning hours two days ago, he had opted to spend some time in his lab – specifically to blow stuff up and hurl a few choice profanities into the empty air. As the weekend had passed, his initial shock and disappointment had rapidly spiraled into a familiar pulsing anger.

Who in the actual hell did she think she was?

What right did she have to come to him in the middle of the night, terrified and alone, only to shit on him the next day after he had helped her? From where did she get the _audacity_ to treat him like that?

Why the hell had he thought things were changing?

Against his better judgment, he hadn't spoken a word of what had transpired to either of his parents. He honestly feared a total breakdown on his part if he did, as the swirling vortex of emotions was rendering him pretty useless where control was concerned.

So she hadn't deigned to grace him with an explanatory email or a surprise visit or even a frickin' text message. Okay then. Let it be.

He supposed the silence spoke far louder than anything else she could have done.

Now, sitting in his last class Monday afternoon, he found himself quite restless for the day to end. She had avoided him completely the entire day, and he had done the same. Sheen and Carl hadn't noticed a thing, thank God, and so at least he hadn't had to deal with drama on that end. There had been a single moment when he'd entered his AP chemistry class that morning that their eyes had met and his heart sank into his stomach.

 _Why?_ He had asked with his eyes. _What did I do to make you hate me so much?_

But she had simply looked away, suddenly finding a compelling need to write something down in her notebook. Hurt and a fresh wave of fury had compounded in his head and stomach and he had had to force himself to not approach her.

What a load of shit.

The ringing of the bell startled him from his musings, and he tuned out the sound of Mrs. Borris' final instructions for the English assignment. In a daze, he wandered out from the classroom and purposely avoided his best friends in the hall.

He didn't want to deal with anyone right now. He was going to head straight to the lab and distract his mind with disproving Quantum Theory or something.

The sight of a familiar blonde leaning against his car when he entered the parking lot stopped him in his tracks. Her eyes were locked on him, as if she'd been watching his progress the entire time, and he distantly wondered how the hell she'd gotten out here before him without him noticing.

"Hi Jimmy," she said, softly. A million retorts flitted temptingly through his mind, but none of them made it to his mouth. He just stood there, gaping at her, and decided that silence was his best option.

If she had something to say, he wasn't going to help her get it out.

"I need to talk to you," she said. Her hair was down in gentle curls, framing her face perfectly. If he'd been in a better mood, he might have allowed his thoughts to wander into the "She looks amazing" territory, but the rock in his gut grounded his mind. He managed to maintain a blank expression as he eyed her, shifting his backpack strap higher onto his shoulder.

"I don't think that's really necessary," he spat, sounding far more venomous than he had originally intended. Cindy's expression didn't change, but her shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

"I owe you a lot of things, Jimmy," she said, "but an apology is at the top of the list."

"Save it." He surprised even himself at this response. "You've made your stance perfectly clear, _Vortex._ The last thing I need is insincere remorse."

"I'm not being insincere." Her voice shook now, but she stared him down. He shifted his focus to the ground, knowing her gaze could melt the angry ice surrounding his heart. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. I'm…I'm horrible, I know that. But before you cut me out I just wanted to give you an…an explanation. I –"

"Is what she said true?" he blurted out. So much for staying quiet. He found the courage to look at her again. "Is that really what you think of me?"

"No," she said frantically, sliding her book bag off of her shoulder and onto the ground. She came over and stood right before him, her eyes boring into his. "It's _not,_ Jimmy. I swear it's not."

"Then why would you _say_ those things?" She grimaced and he swallowed thickly.

"I'm not going to lie to you," she murmured. Her eyes trailed down his face and he couldn't help the resurgence of pain when he looked at the bruise on her face. "I did say those things. But they were isolated events, when I was really really _pissed_ at you. After one of our stupid fights, or after my mother told me I hadn't tried hard enough when I got an A minus instead of an A plus." She ran a hand through her hair. "She was hungover and trying to get you to leave. So she took some horrible things I've said over the years and tried to make it seem like what I felt for you was fake, or a ploy of some kind and Jimmy, I swear, _that isn't true._ "

He didn't miss the key words in her tangent _felt for you._ So. Past tense then?

"Cindy, I'm sorry," he whispered. She blinked at him and he shook his head. "I'm sorry you have to deal with all that shit. I really am. And ehm…" He shrugged. "I forgive you. But I think it's best if we…" He motioned between them, suddenly at a loss for words. "You know. Keep our distance." Her face fell and he almost flinched when her eyes filled with tears.

"Jimmy, don't do this." Then: " _Please._ "

"It's obvious that I'm toxic to you and your mother's relationship," he said. "I can't do that to you, and I…I don't know what you want me to do here." Oh _God..._

"I want you to forget about all that. Oh Jimmy, don't you see? She's always been like that, but we were always friends, weren't we?" Her vivid green eyes burned a hole in his heart and he grimaced.

"Oh Cindy…" He stepped forward without thinking and wrapped her in a hug, closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent of her hair. He didn't know how to make her understand. He didn't know how to tell her how screwed up this really was, because she didn't seem to be seeing it. And he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that his involvement in her life would only serve to make things worse for her.

Right?

Begrudgingly, he pulled himself from her grasp and with a quick peck on the top of her head and a whispered, "I'm sorry," he turned and got into his car. He refused to look at her as he pulled out, not allowing himself to acknowledge the possibility that he was making a mistake.

* * *

It had been two days and Cindy hadn't come back to school.

Jimmy's initial resolve had wavered considerably in the nearly 48 hours since he'd last seen her. Literally: not a peep. She wasn't in school, he hadn't seen her coming or going from her house, hell, she hadn't even been on any social media. Knots of worry were constantly squirming in his gut and only grew as he didn't hear from her. Libby herself had no clue either – she claimed that she had actually gone to Cindy's the night before and no one had been home.

Was this his doing?

His rising apprehension was only compounded by the fact that her parents were so untrustworthy. Who was to say what they would do?

Or what they had _done_?

By the end of school on Wednesday, his anxiety was off the charts. When he made it home he looked desperately across the street for any sign of life, but the Vortex household was as quiet and dark as ever. With a sinking stomach, he pulled his phone out and stared at the blinking cursor for a good five minutes, trying to figure out what to say to her. After careful consideration, he typed out the best thing he could come up with:

 _Hey_

And sent it.

She never responded.

* * *

It was not until that night, as he was preparing for bed, that he happened to notice the light in Cindy's bedroom suddenly flick on. The sight literally made him jump, and he ran to the window to double check. Yep – her light was definitely on, but he couldn't see her. It was the first sign of life he'd seen over there in two days, and the urge to go over there pounded relentlessly through his being. He glanced quickly at the clock, noting it was nearing 11:00, and his eyes slid over to Goddard who seemed to be reading his thoughts.

"What do you think, boy?" he whispered. "Should I go over there and make this right?" Goddard stayed silent, but his screen flipped open and displayed a simple message:

 _You know what to do._

Jimmy nodded. He strode across the room and opened his closet, yanking an old backpack turned jetpack from the front hook. He had perfected the design in his freshman year of high school, creating the world's first _silent_ flying mechanism, but had stopped using it once he'd learned how to drive.

Right now, it would be perfect.

Pulling the straps onto his shoulders, he crept silently to his window and opened it. He cast a quick glance down at the yard, unable to believe that Cindy had been standing there only a few nights ago – it felt like it had been ages. He took a single moment to wonder if he was doing the right thing, then jumped, drifting slowly towards her house.

He couldn't believe, really, how stupid he had been. He had been hurt by her actions, yes, but they should have _talked_ about it. He shouldn't have left her alone. God, how selfish was he?

Was she even going to talk to him now?

A horrible flutter had settled uncomfortably in his stomach in the seconds it took to reach her window. He peaked in slowly, trying to ensure no one inside could see him if it wasn't _her._

And of course, she was the first thing he saw.

Cindy was moving around inside, and looked like she was trying to find something. Her back was turned to him, and she was digging around in her nightstand drawer. Without thinking, he tapped lightly on her window and she jumped, badly. He realized in that moment that she might have been getting ready for bed and he must have scared the crap out of her. She turned, quickly, and when she saw him her eyes widened in horror.

Horror?

In but a second, she was opening her window and hissing out a, "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"Cindy." He suddenly felt incredibly awkward just hanging there (literally), but they _had_ to work this out. "I've been really worried about you. Where have you been? Why haven't you –"

"Would you keep it down, please?" Her eyes held that familiar fire, the one he had been so accustomed to prior to last weekend. "If my mom hears you, she'll kill me."

"Are you okay?" he whispered. Her hands were braced against the windowsill, but for a moment, it looked like she was going to slap him.

"I'm fine," she spat. Her animosity had been expected, but he would be damned if he'd let this deteriorate into a fight.

"Where have you been?" Her eyes darkened even more.

"Jimmy, I really have no interest in doing this with you right now. You need to go." She made to shut the window but he stopped her, placing his hands gently over hers.

"Cindy, I'm sorry." Her expression didn't change. "I was a real idiot, the way I dealt with all of this. I've been really worried that something had happened to you, and I know you're mad – you have every right to be. But since you're –"

"Okay, whatever, we'll talk about this tomorrow okay?" She yanked her hands from his touch. "Now go away. I've got a lot of shit to deal with right now." He was opening his mouth to respond when her eyes suddenly widened. She turned, quickly, to her bedroom door, then hissed a "Get out of here!" in his direction. It was the only warning he was given before her door slammed open and he ducked out of sight just in time.

"…getting real sick of this shit, Cynthia. How many times have I asked you to stop leaving your crap all over the counter? How many times?"

"I know." Cindy's voice sounded tired, and utterly devoid of emotion as she addressed her mother. "I'll get it."

"You had better. I'm not your servant. And why is your room so filthy?"

"Because I haven't been here to clean it."

"It was messy beforehand. You know what? You're not getting a free ride anymore. I'm tempted to start charging you rent."

"Mom, come on –"

"No. You don't get to call the shots anymore." A pause. "And why in the hell is your window open? Honestly!" Seconds later a particularly violent slam sounded above, and Jimmy had the feeling there was far more to that conversation than initially met the eye.

It didn't stop him, however, from nursing a strong sense of hatred towards Sasha Vortex.

He waited a few minutes in his precarious position, wondering what in the hell he should do now, before the sound of the window opening sounded above. "She went to bed," Cindy uttered tiredly and he looked up at her. She looked exhausted, he was finally noticing, and as he flew back up to eye level, she didn't seem to care.

"Come with me," he said. She looked at him, her face betraying nothing. "Come on. Let's go talk somewhere."

"No offense Jimmy," she mumbled against her hand, which was currently propping her face up. "But I think that's a pretty dumb idea."

"No you don't." She stared past him. "If you did, you wouldn't have opened the window again."

"Give me one good reason I should go with you." She still wasn't looking at him.

He shrugged, not knowing if she saw. "To spite your mother?" Cindy closed her eyes, and for a brief second, a smile flickered. She then straightened and turned, and Jimmy's heart fell as he watched her turn off her light.

But then she came back, grabbing a sweatshirt off the back of her chair and tied it around her waist. She let out a puff of breath as she began climbing out the window.

"Just get me down to the ground," she said, and he was more than happy to oblige. When he set her on her feet down on the sidewalk, it was in that moment he realized he hadn't planned on this getting to this point. She wasn't yelling at him, which was good, but she was staying rather…distant.

He couldn't blame her for that, but it stung nevertheless.

She began making her way across the street and he followed, realizing in a moment that she was headed towards his lab. Wordlessly, they both entered, and he honestly couldn't remember the last time they had been in here together. The awkward silence was growing between them as Cindy slumped onto his couch and he removed his jetpack nervously.

Now what?

"I hope you're not planning on apologizing," her voice sounded behind him, taking the initiative as always. "Considering how much you despise _insincere remorse,_ and hypocrisy isn't really your forte." He flinched as he turned towards her, rubbing the back of his head.

"Cindy." She _still_ wasn't looking at him, and the blank expression on her face was freaking him out. The last he'd seen her she'd been so _distraught,_ and her lack of caring was a drastic change. "I was trying to…I didn't think…I…" Every planned response died on the way out and he stared at her bleakly. "I feel like shit, over what I did."

"Good for you."

"Was it because of me?" he blurted out. "Did you disappear because I freaked on you?" To his surprise, she barked out a bitter laugh.

And the _look_ that she finally leveled him with was something akin to an unadulterated hatred.

"You know, not everything is about _you,_ freak-brain." The childhood insult didn't really faze him, but her deadly tone certainly did. She stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "My dad disappeared the night of the fight. My mother and I decided to look for him, and finally found him in the next county, where he was being held in jail for assault. We made his bail and brought him home about 45 minutes ago."

"Assault on who?" Her expression darkened.

"Some guy in a bar."

"What about you?" he whispered.

"What _about_ me, Neutron?" She threw her hands up. "Look, I'm sorry I dragged you into this, okay? I honest to God wish I hadn't let you know, because it's obviously too much for you to handle."

"That's not fair." He was fighting his rising anger once more – he didn't _want_ to be mad at her. "That's not what this is. Cindy, I'm worried about you."

"Yeah, which you made _abundantly_ clear in the school parking lot two days ago." She stared him down. "Make up your mind, Jimmy."

"I did make up my mind," he said, taking a step towards her. "That's why we're both here, right now."

"Glad you got that settled, then." She strode past him. "Nice talking with you, as always. Have a good night."

"Cindy, for _God's sake – "_ He whirled around and grabbed ahold of her arm. She turned to him and her eyes flashed with dangerous fire.

"Let me go."

"No." They stared each other down and neither moved. "Why do you always have to turn everything into a fight, huh? Why?"

"Why do you always put the blame on _me?_ You're the one currently holding me hostage in your lab."

"See, case in point!" He let go of her and she scowled. "I've felt like I swallowed a rock since Saturday night, and practically made myself sick when you disappeared –"

"I didn't ask you to be worried!" she snapped.

"…and now you're back and you're all pissed off at me again. I am _sorry,_ okay, I just didn't know what to do because this is beyond _fucked up,_ and tonight I wanted to make sure you were...okay."

"Well, I'm not. Happy now? Congratulations on toppling the Vortex wall." She gestured at herself. "Yet another outstanding accomplishment of Retroville's resident boy wonder."

"Is that what this is?" He took a step closer. "Are you still trying to maintain our childish rivalry?"

"And are you really that dense? In light of everything that's happened –"

"Then what is it?" He forced himself to not raise his voice. "Why are you pushing me away?"

"Stop it."

"No. Cindy, I care about you too much to just let this drop, okay?"

"Stop saying that." Her eyes were steely and harsh. "Don't try to play to my sentimentality with the 'I care about you' card."

"But it's the _truth._ "

"Bullshit," she snapped. She suddenly shoved him, hard, and he stumbled a bit. "I'm a self-centered bitch, remember? A pretentious brat, an inferior who could not even _hope_ to match your intellectual abilities. I'm _below you,_ Jimmy Neutron."

"What?" Her chest was heaving with emotion, and he feared the true implication of her words. "Cindy, what are you talking about?" He reached out towards her and she flinched.

Oh, God.

"You know that I don't believe any of that," he said. "And none of it is true."

"Liar." What the actual _hell?_ The anger he was trying so hard to repress was steadily swelling within because this was not _fair._ He had never said anything like that to her, he had never insinuated such with any _action_ , so what –

"I'm not lying," he settled for. His fists clenched by his sides and she stared at them. "I want an explanation for what you just said."

"I'm not required to satisfy your demands, Neutron." Her voice was shaking.

"Then just answer my earlier question, _please._ " He stared into her eyes, hoping he was getting his desperation across. "Why are you pushing me away?"

"Because I _have to._ " She hadn't shouted it, but the words seemed to echo against the walls of his lab and he stared at her. "Okay? I have to." Her eyes were suddenly brimming with tears and she angrily wiped them away.

"Why?" he whispered.

"Because!" she finally shouted. "How can you not get this, you dumbass? I was so…so _humiliated_ when my mother stood there and repeated those horrible horrible words to you. You know why? It wasn't just because of the way your face just _fell_ – you had been so good to me, so kind and gentle the night before and I realized what a _bitch_ I am. And after she drove you off we got into yet another fight and she said even more horrible things and then _this –_ " She yanked the sweatshirt she had tied around her waist off and held it up. It was the one he had given her. "She saw I was wearing _this,_ and assumed the worst. She wouldn't even _listen_ to what I was trying to say and called me a slut. And then all this shit with my dad happened and I am _tired,_ Jimmy, I am _tired_ of being clobbered over and over again and the _last_ thing I need is for _you_ to eventually shove me away too." Tears streamed silently down her face, and her voice had gotten quieter and quieter as she spoke. "So please," she choked out, "just hate me like you always did and make this easier for everyone, okay?"

He had never seen Cindy so broken before. In mere seconds, he came to realize that her parents had so utterly devastated her own self-worth that she couldn't even _comprehend_ the possibility that someone in this world would actually care about her with no strings attached.

Possibly even…love her.

Clashing emotions slammed insanely against his brain, but all he could say was, "Dammit, Cindy," before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. The affection seemed to break her down completely and she began sobbing into his chest, repeating "I'm sorry," over and over and over again. He pressed his lips against her temple, placing gentle kisses into her hair, and couldn't stop the sting of tears in his own eyes.

He had played a part in this too. When he had stupidly turned her away in the parking lot, he had served to prove her own fears were true.

And he would be damned if he didn't try to fix it now.

They stood there, for a long time, rocking slowly back and forth. When her sobs began to abate, he let her pull herself from his grasp – but only a little bit. Her hands stayed on his chest and she hiccupped, her eyes downcast. He raised an arm from her waist and tucked that stubborn strand of hair behind her ear.

"I think I need to make something clear," he murmured. She sniffed, her face still downcast, but he needed her to look at him. He placed his hand beneath her chin and gently lifted her face until her shining eyes met his. "You are beautiful, Cindy Vortex." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "You are ridiculously brilliant." He kissed beside her left eye. "You are caring," he kissed her other eye, "you are kind," he kissed her nose, "and you are the only person on this earth who makes me forget how to breathe when you look at me." He cupped her face in both of his hands. "Do you understand what I am saying?" He leaned in close to her ear, half-wondering if she could feel his heart slamming against his ribs.

"I love _you._ "

And before she could say anything in response, he pressed his lips to hers.

It was wonderfully sweet. He wanted to pour the core of his _being_ into this kiss, and their mouths moved in perfect tandem with each other. It was passionate, but not hungry, and if something had shifted out of place in the course of their knowing each other, every single stray piece drifted back into perfection – because he was in love with her, dammit, and he had always known it.

When they broke apart, his lips tingled with her taste and he couldn't help but smile at her. When her eyes met his, she let out a laugh – a wonderful _laugh –_ and shook her head.

"Well what can I possibly say without ruining this, hm?" Her voice was quiet and hoarse.

"No words needed." He rested his forehead against hers. "Well, okay, except for maybe three certain ones." She smiled and sniffed.

"I've always loved you, you doofus."

"Okay, well." He shrugged. "Six words. Technically seven if you count the contraction. I'll take it."

"I'm starting to see the appeal of no words." She gently nuzzled the side of his face, her eyes closed. "Oh Jimmy," she whispered. "This isn't going to be easy, you know."

"I do," he whispered back. "But you're worth it, Cindy. You are." And then she looked at him. He had thought, if only briefly, that the spark of hope in her eyes was going to disappear just as quickly as it had come – but it lingered as she searched his face. It was such a drastic and extremely welcome change from the utter despair he had seen in her eyes in the last week, and he couldn't help the rising hope in his chest that _he_ was the one who was responsible for it.

And it would seem that he was. They spent the rest of the night just… _talking,_ about everything and anything, and when she began to nod off somewhere around three in the morning, he pulled her into his arms and ordered Vox to hit the lights. He was dizzy with exhaustion, but his brain was in overdrive as he mulled over their hours-long discussion. She was right – this was going to be _incredibly_ hard. Not only were her parents going to be against this relationship, but Cindy was, for lack of a better word, damaged. For years her parents had poisoned her own mind, making her think she wasn't good or smart enough in comparison to _him,_ which was just sick and horrifying to think about. No wonder she had tormented him so much in their childhood.

Cindy shifted in his arms and he could just make out of the outline of her face from his various machine's dim lights. In that moment, the frenzied storm of his thoughts settled and vanished like vapor. The inevitability of their being caught, the anger, all the misfortunes the future held – none of that seemed to matter now. Whatever was coming next, they were going to do it together. If he had Cindy Vortex by his side, he was certain nothing could stop them.

Sleep slowly enveloped his senses, and right before he drifted off, the words of a long-forgotten song came unbidden to his mind. He finally succumbed to slumber, a smile lingering on his lips, and held her closer still.

 _If I could choose_

 _I'd have you stay_

 _But I gave my heart to you, and it's yours to break_

 _Before my fears tear us apart_

 _Won't you follow me...into the dark._

* * *

 **And that's a wrap, folks! To be perfectly honest with you, I kind of think this would have been better if I had just left it open-ended with the first chapter as a one-shot. I'm just not sure I'm entirely pleased with the direction I took with this. Anywho, thank you SO much for reading and putting up with my crappy updating. And keep an eye out - I will be posting more in the future. :)**

 **The song lyrics are from James Blunt's _Into the Dark._ Please don't sue me. **


End file.
